Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Players of the Game at Pitt

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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After a heartbreaking loss to rival Pitt Saturday, Penn State now sits at 1-1 for the season. 

Penn State’s long-awaited game with the Pittsburgh Panthers did not go as planned, as the Nittany Lions found themselves on the wrong end of a 42-39 loss. The result was a lot closer than it could have been considering that Pitt had a 21-point lead.

The loss still stings, and there were certainly some bad moments, but head coach James Franklin can take several positives away after watching his team claw back. A few players really stood out Saturday, so it’s time to name VBR’s Penn State Players of the Game for the loss at Pitt.

Offense – Running Back Saquon Barkley

Barkley again finds himself as the top Nittany Lion on offense. He played a huge part for the Nittany Lions and accounted for five touchdowns in the game.

Although the super sophomore had just 85 yards on the ground, he still averaged over four yards a carry. He scored four rushing touchdowns and added one through the air to go with his 45 receiving yards.

Barkley is a stud in the backfield, there’s no denying that. His five-touchdown performance Saturday was just another example of the ability that makes him one of the best backs in the entire country.

Honorable Mention: Wide Receiver DeAndre Thompkins, Quarterback Trace McSorley

Defense – Linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White

Picking a player to highlight for the defense was a bit tough. The Nittany Lions absolutely got dominated by Pitt on defense. With several opportunities to get back in the game, the defense continued to get run over.

When it was all said and done, the Panthers finished with 432 yards, 341 of which came on the ground.

Although it may not seem like it, there were some good individual performances on the Penn State defense.

Wartman-White played a very solid game and accounted for nine total tackles, seven of which were solo. He also led the team with three tackles for loss.

Honorable Mention: Wide Receiver DeAndre Thompkins, Quarterback Trace McSorley

Special Teams – Punter Blake Gillikin 

A big positive that came out of the game for Penn State is the fact that the punting game was once again great. True freshman Blake Gillikin has quickly grown into a very important player for the Nittany Lions.

Flipping field position with good punts is vital to success, and that’s exactly what Gillikin is able to do.

Against the Panthers, Gillikin nailed five punts for an average of 46.6, including a long of 69 yards.  His was able to kick two that went at least 50 yards and three that were dropped inside of the 20 yard line.

Penn State has finally been able to stabilize the punt game thanks to the stellar play thus far of Gillikin.

Honorable Mention: Punt Returner John Reid, Kick Returner Miles Sanders

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